TEMPLE, Texas — Saturday's call for celebration and it was a very special day for one lady in Temple, Texas.
But, this day wasn't just any other birthday. It was a milestone.
Thelma Tisdell thought it was another day in the nursing home. Little did she know, cake, presents, tiaras and family were all waiting down the hall.
"She's just been such a blessing to the whole family and we love her so much. We had a 100th birthday five years ago and it was a surprise to her," Derron Wright, Thelma's nephew, said. "Hopefully this will trick her that nothing going on."
As a way to show their love on this very special day, her entire family surprised her at the Weston Inn nursing home where Thelma lives.
It's safe to say, she was surprised.
"She means everything to the community," Margaret Pleasant, one of Thelma's church friends, said. "You can see all of the people and family that came here today just shower her with love and blessings. She's been a blessing to all of us."
Thelma, also known as Aunt Thelma or Miss Thelma, is used to birthdays every year, and Nov. 11th marked 105 of them.
"Her mind is just still strong, she's still telling people what to do. When to do it. How to do it. It's just a blessing for her to be 105," Brandon Wright, Thelma's great nephew, said."
I had to know what the secret was to staying flawless and beautiful all these years.
"She drinks a lot of Dr. Pepper," Brandon Wright said. "Maybe that's it."
But Thelma's answer was simple. When asked, she looked at me and laughed. That smile said it all.
You know what they say, laughing makes you live longer, and Thelma's good spirits are contagious.
"I don't know what to say. All I can say is thank you," Thelma Tisdell, the birthday queen, said. "God bless all of it."
Here's to making it to 110, Miss Thelma!
KCEN RELATED STORIES: